ask This Old House
Q I inherited an old combination square from my grandfather. Is it a helpful tool for carpentry work?
—BRYAN MCGUIRK, PRINCETON, NJ
A Definitely! Carpenters have been making use of this precision instrument ever since it was first manufactured in 1880. Its cast-iron head slides along a groove in a steel rule, which allows you to take accurate measurements of widths and thicknesses, or dado depths. The square is also great for transferring exact measurements to a table saw or router and for marking the offsets along window or door jambs to show where the casings should land. And then you can use the head’s 45-degree leg to mark the miter cuts for all those casings.
—TOM SILVA, TOH GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Q Our double-hung windows were installed only three years ago, but if there’s more than a light breeze, the wind whistles through them. Can we fix this problem without buying new ones?
—ERIK LAPAGLIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TOM SILVA REPLIES: Where is the air coming in? If it’s along the bottom and top edges of the sash, or at the meeting rail where the upper and lower sashes overlap, the fix may be as simple as closing the sash locks. If that doesn’t do the trick, of the sashes, the fix is more involved.
